Entertainment

The 10 Best Android Games of 2011

The 10 Best Android Games of 2011

Disney entered the fray of physics puzzlers with this game, in which players try to get water to Swampy. The puzzle and varied level designs are ingenious. Swampy is also incredibly well-animated, and his reactions add a layer of production value that few other games boast.

This action platformer, which takes cues from indie PC game Super Crate Box, adds a layer of RPG-style character development. The varied levels and irreverent weapons are fun to navigate -- usually one hit means death. Sessions are short, great for picking up and playing whenever you have a minute or two. The wireless multiplayer adds to the fun, too, and works with iOS versions.

This futuristic MMORPG is easy to get in to: The player will easily acclimate to the combat, although the graphic style is not very colorful and friendly. Furthermore, it's easy to join missions with random people, or to form guilds in which regular groups of players work together to conquer missions. This game is also wonderfully cross-platform -- team up with players on Android, iOS and the Chrome web browser.

PopCap brought what might be its best game to Android earlier in 2011. This strategy game, which combines elements of castle defense and tower defense, is brilliant for its excellent progression. The game steadily introduces new elements in a way that never feels overly complex, so even when dozens of defenses are available in a level, it never feels overwhelming. It's goofy fun, accessible for even casual users!

Much of this game's madcap fun comes from its potential destruction, caused while racing from the police. Skillful driving and selective car ramming, along with smart deploying of powerups is key, unless you're playing in the Wreckless mode, where driving a giant, nigh-indestructible semi is just plain fun!

The problem with most social and free-to-play games is that they don't involve robots. Robotek players control fighting robots trying to free the world from the Empire of Machine. Combat involves strategic usage of a slot machine system, where choosing different slots can impact battle by calling up new units, fortifying defenses, or unleashing devastating attacks. With its fantastic atmosphere, this is far more intriguing than any farming game!

This classic Sonic game was brought to mobile in large part thanks to Sonic fan Christian Whitehead, and the love clearly shines through. Like the original title, players have the ability to time travel to the past, and thus affect elements in the future. Because the game has been recreated and not emulated, it runs perfectly on phone and tablet alike, comes with new features not in the original (like the ability to play as Tails), and boasts either the Japanese or American soundtrack. The game holds up exceptionally well, and is near-perfect on a technical level.

This dual-stick shooter from Fruit Ninja creators Halfbrick can be sold with just one phrase: zombie T-Rex. If that's not enough, then check out its dozens of historical levels with corresponding, period-appropriate zombies. It gets intense when the screen fills with zombies, and players must worm their way out of corners to escape the oncoming zombie hordes.

ZeptoLab's physics puzzler made a wonderful transition to Android. The game was subtly tweaked to work on a wide variety of Android devices, but still feels like the same hit iOS game. Many of the creative levels introduced in the iOS version are available here, and protagonist Om Nom is still as adorable and animated as ever.

Variety is the name of the game in this dual-stick shooter. Not only is there a challenging level-based campaign mode that challenges players to advance through set levels, but there's also a wide variety of endless modes. These two factors, combined with effective controls and an intriguing vector-based graphics style, are part of this game's appeal.

Price: $2.99

Apple's iOS isn't the only platform that lets you have fun on the go! For those with Android phones and tablets, choose from many fun games that span the gaming spectrum.

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